-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick compared the alleged hoax about a `` girlfriend '' that ensnared linebacker Manti Te'o with the documentary `` Catfish . ''

`` Catfish '' is no longer simply a river dweller , but rather a verb defined as `` to pretend to be someone you 're not online by posting false information , such as someone else 's pictures , on social media sites usually with the intention of getting someone to fall in love with you , '' according to the MTV show of the same name .

The show grew from the documentary in which filmmakers Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman follow Ariel 's brother Nev and his budding online relationship with `` Megan , '' according to the website Iamrogue.com . The three started to suspect that something was n't quite right with Megan , and they set out to solve the mystery , capturing everything on film . The documentary was a hit at the 2010 Sundance film festival , Iamrogue says .

On the TV show , Nev Schulman , a photographer , guides others who suspect that their online loves are not what they seem .

`` So someone will reach out to me and say , ` I 'm really into this guy , we 've been talking online for months . He lives far away , we ca n't afford to meet but we definitely want to , I think he is the one . Can you help ? ' '' Nev Schulman said in an interview with Iamrogue .

`` Will they find love or heartache ? '' the show 's introduction asks .

In one episode , `` Tyler '' wants to meet `` Amanda '' after months of corresponding via Facebook . Amanda always has an excuse for not meeting or talking , such as not having a cell phone or having a broken webcam . Suspicious , Tyler writes to Schulman .

Through a reverse photo search , Schulman discovers that Amanda 's pictures belong to someone else .

Schulman follows the trail and finds that `` Amanda '' is really Aaron , who is having trouble coming to terms with being gay .

`` For many people the life that they lead on the Internet , which can be exciting , interesting , and can be filled with hopes and dreams that are perhaps outside of the actual range of their situation , is a big distraction and keeps them from living their real lives , '' Schulman said in the Iamrogue interview .

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Alleged hoax on Manti Te'o is compared with the documentary `` Catfish ''

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Catfish defined : `` to pretend to be someone you 're not online by posting false information ''

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MTV show of the same name uncovers possible fake relationships